The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-23

The little fellow was walking slowly.
He frequently dropped his nose to tho
tracks made by the other bears to smell
OF them. Then he would stop and sit
up and look around the country to see
if the other bears were in sight. Evil
IDENTIFY he was keeping his eyes open.
No big bear was going to get chance
10 grab and chew him if watchfulness
ON his part would protect him. When
he got to the pine tree and saw tho
marks that had been made by the large
bears he started back as though he had
been menaced with q club. His heart
stood still as he conjured the size and
ferocious appearance OF the bears which
had preceded him. He recovered his
nerve in q minute, then stood up and
looked around the country. Then he
timidly approached the tree and stood
up to his extreme height and modestly
stretched up his paw, but no did not
scratch the bark He was discouraged.
He sat on his launches and looked at
the marks, first hanging his head on
one side and then on the other. so rs to
make sure they were really there, and
not optical decisions. As he sat wag-
ging his head to and fro, thinking deep
ly, saw his tongue begin to loll It.
tie. Then he smiled showing his
teeth plainly. Ho arose to his feet and
walked up the hill to where pine pole
was lying He seized it with his teeth
and dragged it down the trail to the
tree He sat up. and, holding the pole
between his forepaws. he scratchedfi'e
tree about two feet higher than the
point scratched by the largest bear.
Then he threw the pole into the canon,
and sat down in the trail and rubbed
his nose with his paw. That bear act
ually laughed. Finally he walked up
the trail and disappeared.
What the large bears did when they
returned to the tree and saw the mark
away above theirs do not know, as
was not there, but do know that |
never saw them in that region again,
and il is fair TO assume that the little
bear, which ] frequently saw after
ward, had frightened them out of the
mountains by making them believe that
the boss of all the grizzlies was loung-
ing around that portion Of the range"
Pratt ceased to talk, and looked in,
quiringly at me. promptly expressed
my establishment ut the sagaclty dis
PLAYED by the small, one-eared black
bear. Pratt smoked steadily and look
cd at me approvingly, as though to say:
Here is a hunting comrade for you. l
have at last found man who believes
that true story"
So pleased was he that he reliled his
pipe, lighted it with coal, raised his
eyebrows inquiringly and murmured,
'BeezlegumP'
shook my head negatively and said
smilingly. Bears"
Pratt took his pipe from his mouth.
laid it on his knees, and. bending for
ward little, said earnestly: Il will
tell you two true stories about grizzly
bears. Now, understand, | mean the
real Sierra Nevada grizzly, not this
bastard Rocky mountain bear, but bears
that weigh l,200 pounds, and that will
fight as long as they can stand. In
1855 ! was in California. The party |
belonged TO was washing golden gravel
among the foothills around tho head of
Dead Mans Gulch. The water failed
early in the fall. and my party decided
to enjoy life hunting jack rabbits for
few days before we went on prospect
ing trip into the highlands. We knew
where the little animals were plentiful.
We loaded our pack animals with blan-
kets and provisions and kegs nice five
gallon kegs--and started on the frolic.
That afternoon we passed bit of
ground where jack rabbit signs were
plent full. We camped about half a
nile beyond, at the bank of n creek.
| saw that my comrades were asleep.
determined to kill mess OF jack rab-
bits for breakfast. slipped on my
boots, grasped shot gun and left
camp. When ! arrived ut the rabbit
ground | sat under large smooth
trunked tree 10 wait for rabbits to come
out to be shot. 1t was gray light. and
could not see plainly in the brush,
which stood quite thick on the ground.
Presently | saw what thought was q
rabbit sitting under some high bushes
about forty yards from me. blazed at
il with both barrels, and was terror
stricken to see an enormous and ex-
ceedingly angry grizzly bear break out
of the bushes. He sat up and shook
his left paw as though it itchcd or
smarted. When he broke cover
sprang behind the tree, threw my gun
on the ground, and began to climb. Be
fore the bear saw me / was out of his
reach. He rushed TO the tree, stood up.
and tried to get hold of me. How
loudly he gruntedl l got on a limb
and sat there quite comfortable and
abused the bear. He was greatly ex-
cited. He broke my gun. he tore great
nieces of bark frnm the tree. and loudly